Knowing Krsna’s Energies 69

on the forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual
master extinguishes the blazing fire of material exis-
tence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the
lotus feet of my spiritual master.” (Sri Gurvastakam,
Verse 1)

This material world is often compared to a forest
fire which takes place automatically. No one wants a
forest fire, but there is often lightning, or careless-
ness, or friction, or whatever, and the fire immediate-
ly takes place. Similarly, this material world is beset
with a blazing fire of problems. Everyone wants to
live here peacefully, but situations develop in such
a way that this is not possible for anyone. We struggle
very hard to adjust things in so many ways, but
nature’s laws are so cruel and dangerous that in
spite of our hopes and plans the blazing fire of the
problems of material existence continues.

In this century, for instance, we have attempted
to put out the fire of war, but it has not been
possible. There was a First World War, and then a
League of Nations was formed to try to prevent a
second, but despite their attempts a second took
place. Now a United Nations has been constructed
to help end war, but war is going on in Viet Nam, in
Egypt, in Pakistan and other places. No one wants a
Third World War, but it seems imminent. It is not
possible to send a fire brigade, a few men with
buckets of water, to extinguish a great fire in the
forest. To extinguish a roaring forest fire there must
be volumes of water; in other words, there must be
an arrangement that is beyond human endeavor.
When there is a merciful cloud over the forest fire,
the cloud bursts, rain pours down in torrents, and
